HUD Announces "Protect Our Kids!" Campaign
HUD Secretary Ben Carson recently announced the “Protect Our Kids!” Campaign, a Department-wide enforcement effort to protect young children from lead poisoning in older housing. The campaign aims to get landlords and sellers of older homes to fulfill responsibilities to disclose lead-based hazards in their properties, while also working to ensure that all federally assisted homes are lead-safe. Lead is a highly toxic metal that can cause a range of health problems, especially in young children. HUD estimates that nearly 30 million homes in the U.S. have indoor environmental hazards, such as lead-based paint and mold.
According to a recent HUD press release, HUD’s Protect our Kids! lead safety rules enforcement campaign is a combined effort by multiple enforcement and program offices at the Department, including HUD’s Office of General Counsel (OGC); Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC); Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (Healthy Homes); Office of the Inspector General (OIG); Office of Public and Indian Housing; Real Estate Assessment Center; and the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs. The objective of the campaign is to review and ensure compliance with regulations that are intended to reduce the potential of lead poisoning in children, in both privately owned homes and those receiving federal assistance. Applicable regulations include HUD and EPA’s Lead Disclosure Rule, under which most landlords and sellers of pre-1978 homes are required to inform tenants and purchasers of known lead-based paint hazards in the homes; and HUD’s Lead-Safe Housing Rule, which requires providers of most pre-1978 housing that is federally owned or subsidized to make certain their units are lead safe.
To expand the public’s awareness about the dangers of lead, HUD developed a toolkit that underscores the importance of lead testing and provides tips on how to prevent lead poisoning. You can learn more about National Healthy Homes Month 2018 and ways you can protect your children from lead and other home health and safety hazards by clicking here.